Charlie Parker

The Baltimore Symphony's program over the weekend, conducted by the always welcome Mario Venzago, offered three items from the orchestral hit parade -- Schubert's "Unfinished," Strauss' "Don Juan," Debussy's "La Mer" -- and a modest little keyboard concerto by Haydn. Who knew the concerto would easily hold its own against the competition? Making his BSO debut, and enjoying supple support throughout from Venzago and the ensemble, Swiss-born pianist Oliver Schnyder revealed a disarming way with a phrase throughout Haydn's D major Concerto Sunday afternoon at Meyerhoff Hall. Schnyder's articulation proved as warm as it was...

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Charlie Parker died more than half a century ago, at age 34, but his music resonates in our culture to this day.
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